The BOMBARDIERTALENT 3 battery electric multiple unit was awarded the renowned Berlin Brandenburg innovation award on November 30, 2018. The train operates emission-free, thereby making a significant contribution towards environmentally-friendly mobility. It can be used to bridge non-electrified lines and replace diesel trains with clean battery-powered vehicles.

A distinguished, 17-member jury selected the battery-powered multiple unit as one of the winners from among ten finalists. Bombardier will allocate the prize money of 10,000 euros to promote innovation and social responsibility. One part will be used to organize a hackathon event with (disadvantaged) youth and students on the topic "Train of the Future", in cooperation with Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin). The other part will be donated to the Children’s Hospice Sonnenhof in Berlin.

"This award is a great testament to our team’s accomplishments and our commitment to deliver innovative and high-performing products that solve some of the biggest environmental and mobility challenges today”, said Pierre-Yves Cohen, President, responsible for products and engineering at Bombardier Transportation. "It was our goal to develop a quiet and eco-friendly train for passengers, while also offering operators worldwide the best alternative to high-emission diesel trains on both cost and safety aspects. We are very proud that next year the TALENT 3 battery-powered train will be the first to enter passenger service in Europe in over 60 years.”

Michael Fohrer, Head of Bombardier Transportation in Germany, added, "Smart, innovative and forward-looking – this train masters all the challenges of modern mobility. It is a prime example of Bombardier's innovative strength in Germany. Forty per cent of the domestic rail network is not electrified. Bombardier’s battery-operated train is an economically and ecologically attractive option for these lines.”

With its ultra-fast charging, high-performance BOMBARDIERMITRAC lithium-ion batteries, the TALENT 3 battery train could already operate on more than 30 per cent of Germany’s non-electrified lines today. Thanks to cost-effective electrification of the end points, even 75 per cent of all diesel lines in Germany could be operated with battery-power, and without having to change trains. According to an independent comparative study by Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), the battery train would be the most cost-effective and CO2-free alternative to diesel trains in terms of total cost of ownership over the entire 30-year service life.

The train’s batteries are charged while driving, or at stations under the overhead line, or with the aid of recovered braking energy. As soon as the train travels on non-electrified lines, the batteries mounted on the roof supply the required electricity in an ecological and efficient way.

The battery electric multiple unit was developed in cooperation with various project partners. These include the DB Regio subsidiary DB ZugBus Regionalverkehr Alb-Bodensee (regional transport for the Lake Constance region), Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg Regional Transport Company) and the Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie (National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) and TU Berlin. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) contributed to the funding of the project with a grant of four million euros.

About Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industry’s broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 39,850 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

About Bombardier

With over 69,500 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.